


Wait and See

by Tinywriterfairy



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alcohol, Background Relationships, DJ - Freeform, Dancing, Established Kim Dongyong | Doyoung / Lee Taeyong, Getting Together, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Minor Kim Jungwoo / Moon Taeil, Mutual Pining, Teasing friends, clubs, flirtation, kind of?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2020-12-23 17:24:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21085067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tinywriterfairy/pseuds/Tinywriterfairy
Summary: Johnny's intrigued by the dancer he sees every night he's at the club, who wears "Winwin" around his neck. But how is he going to talk to Winwin when the dancer always disappears?#S062





	Wait and See

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this! This prompt was actually the first fest prompt I ever claimed, so I'm really looking forward to sharing it.

Johnny loved his job. He’d always loved music, with dance as a close second. The flexible hours didn’t hurt, either. Johnny dropped his bag behind the DJ table. The lights were still up, leaving the room clean and clear; Johnny’s workspace remained the same as always with the mic stand in front of the turntables, effects units off to the side, and speakers upright on either side of his platform. Jaehyun tossed him a couple bottles of water.

“Thanks.”

“Sure. Let me know if you need more on your break.” Jaehyun wandered back behind the bar.

Johnny tossed his jacket over the back of his seat; it was still chilly inside, but he wouldn’t have time to take it off later. He cracked one of the water bottles open. His laptop settled into the space between turntables, an adapter allowing him to plug both in. He twisted in wax earplugs, muffling the background to near-silence. Jaehyun and Jungwoo chatted for a while behind the bar while he worked. Jungwoo waved up at Johnny on his way out after his shift. Johnny waved back as he set his headphones on the table for his set later. Johnny set up the early entrance music before digging into his set. Most of the songs would be recent hits, but he dropped a couple he’d been working on himself in the latter half. Johnny waited, watching the trickles of people coming in turn into a tide as the night deepened.

The club filled to bursting with drinkers and dancers. The music’s vibrations echoed through his feet. Jaehyun flitted around the bar serving drinks. He did stop for a while in front of his favorite regular, a man with long black hair (which Jaehyun had been whining about for weeks). Johnny queued up the next few songs.

One dancer stood out from the rest. Blond hair almost tinted with cherry, slick with sweat. Fashionable clothes, though he’d never seen the same set twice. The eternal gold necklace, “Winwin” engraved with what looked like diamonds, Johnny’s only clue to his identity. The necklace somehow stayed in position against smooth skin as he moved. Winwin appeared almost every night Johnny was on, danced right by his DJ booth for hours, before disappearing to the bar and then out the door. Tonight was no different. The prettiest boy he’d ever seen vanished right before his eyes.

***

Repacking after the set was Johnny’s favorite way to unwind. He made sure to wipe everything down and reset the mic stand for tomorrow’s DJ. Much as he enjoyed the club, he was glad they scheduled him with days between sets so he could rest. Johnny took the empty water bottle and the one he was still working to the bar. Jaehyun paused his wiping to take the empty one.

“You should drink more. I know you don’t think you’re doing much up there, but it gets hot and it’s really easy to get dehydrated.”

“Thanks, Jaehyunnie.” Johnny drained the second bottle and handed it over. “I’ll work on it.”

Jaehyun resumed wiping down the bar. “You got distracted by him again, didn’t you?”

“Listen, he’s really pretty. And he’s such a good dancer. I don’t know why he always gets so close to the booth to dance, but I got to see him for three hours tonight.” Johnny dropped onto a barstool. Between them, Jungwoo and Jaehyun kept the bar organized, but he could never understand the system they used. Bottle colors mixed with types of alcohol mixed with sizes, but they made it work.

Doyoung smacked the back of Johnny’s head as he came up to the bar. “Is he going on about the dancer again?”

“Yes, he is.” Jaehyun tossed away the rag. 

“Don’t you think you’re getting a little obsessive at this point?”

Johnny let his head drop to the bar. “You say that like I’m stalking him. I’m just watching who’s in front of me. Would you have ignored Taeyong in my position?”

“That’s different,” Doyoung sniffed.

“How?”

“Well, for one thing, I’m married to Taeyong.”

“But I’m saying, if he wasn’t—”

“Did I hear my name?” Taeyong stuck his head out from the back room. “What’s going on?”

“They’re arguing about that Winwin guy.” Jaehyun ducked under the bar for his jacket. “Johnny thinks that Doyoung would stare at you the same way he stares at Winwin. Doyoung thinks he wouldn’t.”

“You wouldn’t stare at me?” Taeyong pouted. “Aren’t I pretty, though?”

“That wasn’t what I meant.” Doyoung hurried over. “I look at you all the time. Are you done with the books?”

Taeyong stared Doyoung down for another moment before he grinned and stepped out, closing the door behind him. “Yep, ready to go. Good night, guys!”

“Good night.”

They walked out holding hands.

“And anyway.” Johnny pointed at Jaehyun. “You shouldn’t be coming for me when you’re hung up on that regular who flirts with you all the time.”

Jaehyun sighed, starry-eyed. “He still won’t give me his number.”

“Are you going to talk about how pretty he is next?”

Jaehyun smacked him. “You hush. Get out of here so I can lock up.”

Johnny wandered home tired and curious.

***

Sicheng let himself into Yuta’s apartment. He toed off his shoes before sneaking into Yuta’s room. Ten already sat at the end of Yuta’s bed. Sicheng climbed on next to him. They waited. Yuta’s room was pretty messy, at least from the night before. His clothes had been dropped right by his bed. Little plants littered his windowsill and soaked up all the sun. Yuta kept a soccer ball on his desk chair despite not having played soccer in ages.

Yuta drifted awake in minutes. He went to sit up, screamed, and fell out of bed. Sicheng and Ten cackled.

“Why do you always do this?” Yuta groaned from the floor.

“Because it still scares you.” Sicheng offered Yuta a hand up.

Even if he was mad, Yuta still cooked them breakfast. Ten pointed a fork at Sicheng when Yuta brought the food out. “Why are you going to that club so often? You’ll wear yourself out.”

Sicheng moved the fork aside and reached for his own food. “I’m not going to wear myself out. It’s just a good way to relieve stress. Plus, I always wear the Winwin necklace, so it’s good advertising.”

“And the hot DJ you’re always dancing near has nothing to do with it?” Yuta took a bite of his food.

“What about the hot bartender you go to flirt with but refuse to give your phone number to?” Sicheng dodged the carrot Yuta threw at him. He chucked a grape at Ten, who shrieked. The minor ensuing food fight distracted them from questioning him further. 

After breakfast, they didn’t take long to dress and head out. They usually kept to open spaces or crowded corners in Hongdae, mixing crowd favorite routines with the choreographies they were considering for auditions. And if Sicheng danced with a certain DJ in mind, well, his friends didn’t need to know.

***

Johnny set Taeil’s lunch in front of him before sitting with his own plate. The low table in his living room was long enough for them to sit next to each other on the floor and rest against the bottom of his couch. “So what's new with you?”

“Nothing.” Taeil rubbed a hand over his face. “Except more work. I’m just tired.”

“You know what might help with that?” Johnny kept his face blank and his voice bland, but apparently Taeil still caught it.

Taeil growled. "No. I'm pretty sure that won't solve shit for me. I need more sleep.”

“You need to relax. Come on.” Johnny leaned into Taeil’s side until Taeil leaned, too. “You’ve never come to visit me at work. Aren’t you curious?”

Taeil sighed. “Maybe a little, but I’m not inclined to want to be out as late as you on a weeknight.”

“So come tonight, it’s Friday. You can sleep in tomorrow.”

Taeil shoved him back upright. “Why do you care? This isn’t just ‘aren’t you curious about work’ because I’ve seen you DJ before.”

Johnny shrugged. “I just think you could use a change of scenery. Maybe it’s not your scene, but you won’t know unless you try it. You work too hard, hyung.”

Taeil hummed, looking Johnny over. “You know what? I’ll do it, only because I want to see you pining over this dancer of yours in real time.”

Johnny flopped back against his couch. “Oh, come on.”

Taeil laughed. “You wanted me to come, didn’t you?”

“That doesn't mean I want you to tease me about it.”

Taeil laughed at him, but it would be a small price to pay. They went back to lunch.

***

Sicheng dropped his fork on the floor. Normally, Yuta would have dived for it, trying to help even if it wasn’t necessary. Today, he just stared out the bay windows of the diner they sat in. He’d barely touched his food.

“What’s distracting you?” Sicheng waved a hand in front of Yuta’s face. “We’re supposed to go over the choreography for our audition tape as soon as we get back. Are you gonna be okay?”

“Huh? I’m fine.” Yuta shook himself. “Just thinking.”

Sicheng narrowed his gaze at Yuta. “About what?”

Yuta fidgeted. "Nothing important. I'll be fine for the tape, don't worry."

“How are you sure?”

They stared each other down. Yuta broke first, glancing at the overly grand clock above the order counter.

“… Jaehyun.”

Sicheng tossed the ruined fork to the table. “I knew it. Are you still debating whether to give him your number when we both know if you didn’t want him, you wouldn’t even show up to the club?”

“That’s—what about you, then? You dance in front of that DJ booth every night to get Johnny’s attention, but you never stick around.”

A waiter came by, but they waved him off without even looking around.

“I’ll make you a deal,” Sicheng said slowly. “You get your boy and I’ll get mine. And we won’t get distracted by either of them during work.”

“I’ll take the second half,” Yuta returned, “but I’ll do you one better. I bet you I can get mine first.”

So it was like that, was it? Sicheng took Yuta’s hand. “It’s a bet.” They shook. “And when I win, you’ll buy lunch for a month.”

“Yeah, right.”

Sicheng flicked Yuta’s arm as he went to get another fork.

***

Jungwoo watched the man out of the corner of his eye as he wiped down the bar. Music pounded through the walls, even though Johnny was pretty reasonable about his music levels. The man had come in with Johnny before his set started, sat at the bar, and asked for water. Halfway through Johnny’s set, he was still drinking water. If it weren’t for the hair, blond and teased into little spikes above his forehead, he would have looked like a typical businessman in a suit.

Jungwoo slid another customer a drink. He leaned on the bar across from the stranger. “Do you not like alcohol?”

“Oh, I like it just fine, just not when I want to be clear-headed in the morning.” He tapped the water glass Jungwoo had been refilling. “I know this is a boring choice.”

Jungwoo shrugged. “I don’t think there’s anything boring about you, but it doesn’t really matter what you order since I get paid the same at the end of the night.”

He cocked his head. “Why would you say that?”

Jungwoo waved at him. “Man in a suit, with hair like that, comes in with the DJ but sits at the bar and only orders water? I imagine you’re a lot of things, but boring doesn’t look like one of them.”

He laughed. “Well, when you put it like that, it sounds fascinating. You’re Jungwoo, right? Johnny’s mentioned two bartenders, and I’ve met Jaehyun before.”

“I am, in fact, the Kim Jungwoo you’ve heard about. Who are you, that you’ve heard about me from Johnny?”

“I’m Taeil,” he craned his head to peer toward the front of the room where Johnny ruled the music stage. “Johnny and I have known each other since high school.”

Taeil had an undercut. Jungwoo got more water. “So what are you doing here tonight, if you don’t want to get drunk?”

Taeil thanked him and took another drink. “Johnny’s been bugging me to come see him play, but I was hoping to catch a glance at the dancer he won’t shut up about.”

“Oh, yeah. That’s always a good time.” The crowd was to thick to spot him from here, though Taeil seemed determined to try. “He sometimes stops by the bar on his way out, but you’d have to wade in there if you want to be sure you’ll catch him.”

Taeil shuddered. “No, thank you. A crowded dance floor isn’t really my favorite place.”

“Not much of a dancer?”

Taeil gave a rueful grin. “I’m a little too clumsy for it.”

“Only a little?” Jungwoo stretched. “Then it would be fine if you had a partner, wouldn’t it?”

Taeil narrowed his eyes at Jungwoo. “You’re flirting with me.”

“Maybe a little.” Jungwoo rested back on the counter. “Do I seem rusty? You’re the first new person I’ve tried it with in a while.” And maybe he shouldn’t be, but how was he supposed to resist the mystery Taeil presented?

Taeil shook his head. “No, you’re very smooth.”

“Should I stop and go back to bartending?”

Taeil shook his head. “You’re making my night very interesting.”

“In that case,” Jungwoo tapped Taeil’s glass, “can I interest you in something more flavorful than water? We don’t only keep alcohol back here.”

Taeil drained the rest of the water from his glass. “Show me what you’ve got, then.”

***

Johnny took a deep breath, trying to stay calm while Winwin danced. Light bounced off his necklace in pretty, but distracting patterns. Winwin had looked at him before, sure. In passing, glances here and there Johnny could tell himself were charged, but they never lasted. Tonight, though, those striking eyes burned into him with every move the dancer made, never straying.

It had to mean what he thought, right? Johnny eased the monitors down while the songs changed over. He had never been able to take his eyes off Winwin, but now he met gaze for gaze. It felt strangely intimate for two strangers in a club who’d never spoken. But Johnny had to work, so he glanced away in flashes to keep the music moving properly.

And yet, just like every other night, Winwin had disappeared by the time Johnny was able to come down from his booth. He tried not to let it get to him. The club stayed open really late. Anyone coming here this often had to have flexible hours, but that didn’t mean he’d be willing to lose sleep over a stranger. Or maybe it was just an easy form of entertainment, to flirt with Johnny from the floor. Johnny trudged over to the bar, trading Jaehyun empty bottles for full. Jaehyun grinned until he noticed Johnny’s state.

“Are you okay?”

Johnny shrugged, still drinking. “Just tired. I’ll probably give myself the day to rest, I’ll be fine. What’s got you so smiley?”

Jaehyun wriggled—honest to God, wriggled—playing with his phone. “I got his number.”

“Good for you,” Johnny deadpanned. “Did you get his name?”

Jaehyun shoved him toward the door. “Shut up.”

They walked out together. Jaehyun patted Johnny’s shoulder after he locked up. “Rest up, hyung. I think it’s going to be a busy week, with the music festival coming up.”

Yeah. Thanks, Jaehyun.”

Johnny trudged home. His apartment remained dark and quiet when he unlocked it. Usually, he liked the quiet after nights in a noisy club. Johnny went through the motions of his bedtime routine. He pulled the covers over himself, wishing for things he couldn’t change.

***

Johnny startled awake when Mark (and probably Donghyuck) barged into his apartment with Mark’s spare key. As usual, he groaned loudly but allowed himself to be ambushed by teenagers. Mark, Donghyuck, Renjun, and Jeno dog-piled onto his bed. “Good morning!”

“Is it, though; is it really?” Johnny wiggled until Jeno wasn’t cutting off circulation to his leg. “You’re going to kill me one of these days.”

Renjun snorted. “If we wanted you dead, we wouldn’t announce our presence by jumping at you.”

“That’s terrifying, and I need to get dressed.” He nudged them up off his bed. “Go terrorize the living room instead.”

They trooped out. Johnny grabbed a pair of jeans and a dark shirt from his dresser by the wall. The clock on his bedside table showed it was almost 11. At least they’d let him sleep in before showing up. When Johnny made it out into his living room, Renjun and Jeno were arguing over which video game to set up on Johnny’s console while Mark watched.

“Why don't you have any good food?” Donghyuck whined from the kitchen.

“Excuse you, there's plenty of good food in there.”

Donghyuck stuck his head through the doorway. “There's no snacks. Therefore, there's no good food. You have to feed us, Johnny, we came all this way.”

Johnny laughed. “Demanding children.”

“Please?”

He yielded to pouting en-masse. “Fine, fine. You’re lucky I love you. I’ll be back soon. Don’t destroy my apartment or I’ll take back Mark’s key.”

“Bold of you to assume I haven’t already made copies,” Donghyuck deadpanned.

Johnny giggled, ruffled Donghyuck’s hair, and left.

The convenience store wasn't too far, just a casual walk away. Johnny picked up some of the kids' favorite snacks—mostly candy—and took a different way back. He cut through the open-air mall to save some time, but was foiled by a large crowd swarming around some kind of performance. They must be good, to draw such a crowd. Johnny waded into the crowd until he could peer over heads at the performance. He stopped dead. There, right in the middle of the crew, flashed a gold necklace he would know anywhere. Winwin looked different, sharper, dancing with his members. They wove around each other in complex forms. Johnny couldn’t even look at anyone else. 

The crowd cleared as the dancers unwound after the performance. Johnny could not force his feet to move, so soon he remained the only spectator left. The shortest dancer spotted him and nudged Winwin. Winwin turned and outright blushed when he saw Johnny, though his face remained blank. Cute. The short one pushed Winwin. He stumbled, whacked at his friend, but finally approached Johnny.

“Hi.”

Johnny gave himself a breath to recover. “Hi. Your name’s Winwin, right? Or is that a reference to something else?”

His eyes sparkled and he bit his lip, but no laughter actually came out. “It’s a nickname. I go by it for dance, mostly.” He cocked his head. “If I remember correctly, your name is Johnny.”

As though his name wasn't on all of the club's promotional material. “Yes, Johnny Seo at your service.” He gave an exaggerated bow, more courtly than introductory. “If you don’t mind my asking, what’s your real name?”

Finally, he laughed. “Dong Sicheng. Either name is fine, I don’t really care.”

Johnny repeated his name slowly, savoring it. “That's a very pretty name.”

Sicheng waved him off. Behind him, a familiar man walked up to the short dancer, wrapping an arm around his waist. He wasn't much taller than the dancer, solidly built and dressed casually. The dancer melted into his hold despite their contrast. Johnny cocked his head. “Wait a second, don’t I know him? Does he dance with you?”

“Hm?” Sicheng turned to look. “That’s Kun. He doesn't dance with us, he's just here to support Ten like a good boyfriend.” Sicheng pointed at the dancer—Ten. “He’s the one who told us about your club, he consults with the owners sometimes.”

So his instinct about the club had been right. Johnny placed his face, coming out of Doyoung and Taeyong's office. “Ahh. That makes sense.”

“So what were you doing in the area?”

“Oh.” He hefted the snack bag. “My cousin and his friends asked me to pick them up some snacks. I decided to take the long way back and found you. You were amazing, by the way.”

“Am I not usually?” Sicheng crossed his arms over his chest playfully (at least Johnny thought so).

“Of course you are, but it’s different seeing you dance here with everyone.”

Sicheng laughed. 

Johnny’s phone went off with Donghyuck’s ringtone, a loud, brassy song. “I’m sorry, I’ve got to check this.”

“No, it’s fine, go ahead.”

“_Where are you?_” Donghyuck asked. “_We're hungry!_”

“Aren't you always?” Johnny made a face at Sicheng, who seemed amused. “I'll be back soon. Try not to starve in the meantime.”

They hung up. Johnny swung his bag again. “I have to get back. Will I see you tonight?”

Sicheng waved him off. “Wait and see.” But the way he smiled held hope as Johnny sped home.

***

Again, Johnny watched Sicheng dance in front of his booth. Again, Sicheng held his gaze at every opportunity. It was good that Johnny always had his equipment in the same place, because he could hardly look away from Sicheng to play with the beats properly. 

One thing was different tonight. This time, when he climbed down and went to the bar to toss Jungwoo some empty water bottles, he found Sicheng sitting on a barstool. Sicheng waved when he spotted Johnny. Johnny smiled at him and handed off the water bottles.

“Hello there.”

“Hi.” Sicheng smiled at him. A real, true smile, the largest Johnny had ever seen from him. He liked it.

Johnny leaned on the bar next to Sicheng’s stool. “You waited for me?”

“I told you to wait and see, didn’t I?” Sicheng played with his drink glass.

Johnny tipped his head down. “You did. Am I still waiting?”

“Depends.” Sicheng reached out and plucked at Johnny’s loose shirt. “Can you wait until you get me home?”

Johnny gripped the edge of the bar. “I can do that.”

“Excellent.” He waved. “Lead on.”

Oh, he liked that. Johnny took Sicheng’s hand from his shirt to lead him out, waving at Jungwoo as they went. Jungwoo smirked, but returned the wave.

Taeil loitered outside the entrance to the club as they left. Johnny cocked his head but didn’t slow down.

“What are you doing out here? You could wait inside.”

Taeil shrugged. “No point, since you’re about to lock up. Don’t worry about me.” He glanced at Sicheng, but, thankfully, didn’t ask any questions as Johnny pulled him the rest of the way up the stairs to the street.

The trip home flew by. Johnny unlocked the door and held it open for Sicheng to walk through. He wandered into the living room, peering at the artifacts of Johnny's life laid bare. The magazines were okay, but he wished he had put away his sheet music.

“Do you want something to drink?” he hung up both their coats.

Sicheng shook his head. He circled back to where Johnny stood. This close, Sicheng was only a bit shorter than him. His hair had more red in it than Johnny realized; one of his ears drew to a point. “There’s something else I want.”

“Oh?” Maybe it was cruel to tease, but Sicheng had been teasing him for months. “What might that be?”

Sicheng pouted. He pulled on Johnny’s shirt again. “You know what.”

“I do? Maybe I want you to say it.”

Sicheng tipped his head back. “Are you always this difficult?”

“Wait and see.”

Sicheng laughed. As the laughter petered out, he surged up and kissed Johnny. Johnny pulled him closer with a hands on the back of his neck. Despite the long time coming, the kiss was slow, almost sweet. Johnny tugged Sicheng closer by his belt loops. Sicheng played with his hair.

Johnny nudged him back toward the bedroom as they traded kisses. Sicheng laughed. He pulled back just enough to speak as he followed Johnny's hints. “What are you doing?”

“I was trying to be subtle,” Johnny grumbled, setting his forehead against Sicheng's shoulder.

“I think the time for subtlety has passed.” But his fingers were gentle as he took Johnny's hand. “Which door?”

He pointed. Sicheng led him inside. Luckily, he'd left his bedroom neater than the living room, so when Sicheng went to sit on his bed, he sat on clean, folded sheets.

“So,” he lounged back on his palms. “Do you think you've waited long enough?”

Johnny made sure to close the door. “I think we both have.” He gladly followed Sicheng into the rest of the night.

***

Sicheng snuggled deeper into warmth. Something tickled. When he wriggled away, sun hit him full in the face. He didn’t have a window facing his bed in his apartment. Sicheng sat up to see he wasn’t in his apartment. Johnny's room felt like him, the same warmth that had convinced Sicheng to follow him home last night. It wasn’t perfectly neat; a desk covered in wires and paper, a closet door that wouldn’t quite close, a few pieces of clothing strewn around after last night.

Johnny wasn’t there, but the sheets were still warm. If he concentrated, he could hear someone moving around. He wrapped the blanket tighter around himself and wandered out.

The apartment looked different on daylight, sun streaming through windows everywhere. Johnny had put some of his papers away, but the living room still held a slightly cluttered, lived-in feeling. He liked it. Johnny turned out to be cooking in the kitchen.

“So you cook, too?”

Johnny grinned, but didn’t look away from the stove. “I can certainly try to.”

Sicheng laughed. He perched on a chair at the kitchen table. “I’d offer to help, but I don’t remember where all my clothes went and I don’t think you want a naked person trying to cook in your kitchen.”

“That’s fair. I think most of your clothes ended up in the corner.”

Was that a blush? “You can borrow something of mine, though they might be a little big.”

“Will the food be ready when I'm back?”

Johnny risked a glance over. “Wait and see.”

Sicheng laughed. “Okay, okay.”

Johnny’s bedroom didn’t really look different in daylight, still less cluttered than his living room. Sicheng spotted his clothes separate from Johnny’s, mostly in the far corner of the room. He didn’t really want to put them back on, so he left them folded at the end of Johnny’s bed. Johnny's closet was full of the kind of clothes Sicheng saw him in at the club. The dresser next to it held softer clothes, t-shirts, jeans, sweatpants. Sicheng swam in a t-shirt that was probably large even on Johnny. He had better luck with the sweatpants, since he could tie them.

Even after returning, Sicheng decided to wait at the table so he could watch Johnny. He moved with ease and control around the kitchen. Every so often, he'd toss Sicheng a smile or a line that made him laugh or groan. He played with the salt shaker. “What are you feeding me?”

“Are you gonna hit me if I tell you to wait and see?”

“You're not letting that go, are you?”

“Never,” he declared dramatically.

Never? Sicheng bit his lip. Was it wrong to like the sound of that?

Johnny plated their breakfast and gave one to Sicheng before sitting down across from him. They ate in relative quiet, but it felt comfortable. Like they’d done it before.

“So,” Johnny set down his fork. “I've been wondering since I saw you at the city center. If you dance for a living, what are you doing in my club practically every night? Isn't it tiring?”

Sicheng shrugged. “That's why I don't actually go every night. It's relaxing, not having to think about every move I make when the music is on. Besides,” he traced over the necklace he'd retrieved from Johnny's bedside table, “it's good advertising.”

“I see.” Johnny grinned. “I suppose it would have been too much to hope you only came to see me.”

Sicheng grinned back. “That's why I danced by your booth all the time.”

Johnny nodded slowly.

Sicheng braced his forearms on the table. “My turn. What's so fun about being a DJ?”

“I really like music.” Johnny took a drink of water. “I started when I was in high school just to mess around, but it turned into pretty steady money. And I can experiment with my own music, within reason.”

In return, Johnny asked what had gotten Sicheng into dancing. That lasted until Johnny couldn't stand the plates on the table anymore and went to wash them. Sicheng bullied Johnny into at least letting him help dry. After Johnny put away the last dish, he turned to Sicheng. He held himself far too tightly to be healthy.

“I’d like to see you again—not just watching you at work, before you say it.” Johnny fidgeted. “On the one hand, I feel like this might seem very fast, but on the other we’ve been dancing around each other for months. I want to get to know you.”

He seemed unsure, as if Sicheng hadn't been the other half of the dance all this time. “Does that mean no more sex?”

Johnny laughed. “I think we can work something out. Is that a yes?”

Sicheng let his tongue peek out. “Wait and see.”

But the joke was ruined when Sicheng rounded the table to kiss Johnny.

***

Sicheng shoved paper across the table at Yuta. “I won.”

“You did not." Yuta crossed his arms. "I won.”

The store’s bell tinkled as someone entered, but neither looked away. They didn’t even have food yet, but a side benefit of having boyfriends now was getting them to retrieve food while Sicheng and Yuta commandeered a table for a staredown.

“What’s going on?” Johnny sat next to Sicheng while Jaehyun slid in by Yuta. They passed the food around.

Yuta stole a fry off Jaehyun’s plate. “We had a bet going and I won.”

“You did not. You gave Jaehyun your phone number the same week I took Johnny home, but you didn’t go out with him for another week. Therefore—” Sicheng’s phone went off. He pointed at Yuta. “This isn’t over.”

“Hello?”

“Is this Dong Sicheng?”

“Yes, who is this?”

“This is Kwon Boa with Limitless Studios. I’m calling because we really liked your crew’s audition tape. Would you be able to come in to talk on the 19th?”

Yuta was trying to sign something at him. Sicheng mouthed _nineteenth?_ at him. He shrugged. Sicheng would take it. “Yes, we should be free that day. Thank you. Yes. Good-bye.” Sicheng sagged into his seat. “I think I’m in shock.”

“Who was that on the phone?”

“Limitless liked our tape. They want us to come talk to them.” Though he kept his voice steady, Sicheng’s fingers shook as he put his phone away. “On the 19th.”

Johnny pulled Sicheng into a hug. Across the table, Yuta kept repeating “holy shit” while Jaehyun clapped.

“This is great, I’m so proud of you.”

“We haven’t signed anything yet,” Sicheng laughed, but he cuddled closer anyway. 

“Doesn’t matter, I’m still proud.”

“Thanks.” Sicheng played with one of Johnny’s hands and watched the couple across the table spaz out. Maybe it was true, when they said “good things come to those who wait” (and see).


End file.
